FROM CLIENTS TO CITIZENS Deepening the Practice of Asset-Based and - PDF document

FROM CLIENTS TO CITIZENS Deepening the Practice of Asset-Based and Citizen-led Development July 7-10, 2009 Coady International Institute, St Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Canada Aloysius P. Fernandez Executive Director MYRADA Bangalore India Dear Citizens of the World: I stand before you as a Client. I depend on your generosity and patience and I have some sense that in your presence that I may be insecure – I heard the criticism of Institutions as obstacles to progress. I suspect that tomatoes or eggs will be delivered my way since I am to focus on the critical role of poor peoples institutions, which provide them with a base to develop their sustainable livelihood strategies leading to food security. Dependency is the major characteristic of a Client (in many forms and degrees) and insecurity is an add on. In India, the poor person depends on the moneylender, a big farmer, a teacher, a government official and a local politician who together create and maintain a web of relations, which the poor cannot penetrate. Even if you teach the poor to fish, they cannot reach the river. In the context of a diverse and stratified society like India, therefore development strategy needs to focus on Pre-Clients who need to acquire intangible assets before they are saddled with tangible and “viable” ones. Thank you for inviting me; it means more to me that many of you are aware. I have been a keen student and admirer of the Antigonish Movement since the 70s and have been involved with CIDA since 1975 in one way or the other. I am using this opportunity to say “ thank you” ! I returned to Bangalore in 1982 with a mission to raise one million poor people above the poverty line. Thanks to my team of colleagues who have stayed in Myrada for over 20 years, the inspiration of Antigonish and the financial support of CIDA which was forthcoming whenever new institutions of the poor emerged and Myrada had to respond to build their institutional capacity, I have been able to achieve this target several years ago. I will sit down shortly as a citizen, free to avoid your queries. I can morph from a client into a citizen rather easily; it is not so easy for the poor and it is even more difficult in a traditional, diverse and relatively stable society like India where a culture of silence prevails among the poor who are 1

several steps behind those who were involved in building the Antigonish movement. And why is it not so easy for the poor to become citizens in India? First -The present dominant socio economic political system makes it difficult. This system broadly comprises three inter related circles . The core, comprises politicians, Government and Private sector, business, staff of finance institutions, security forces and other formal groups; the core controls resources, allocates them on its terms and sets the agenda for growth. It must be admitted that the core has succeeded. If we consider the growth of GDP between 1950 and 2008 we find the average income rising 468 times while the consumer price index rose only 36 times. This implies that real purchasing power in the Indian economy rose by almost 13 times. The savings rate has increased sharply from 8.6% in 1951 to 37.7 % in 2008 and consumers are able to meet their basic needs by spending only 30% of income in 2008 while in 1951 it was closer to 90%. Statistics as you know hide more than they reveal, but there are several indicators that this is the trend –one being the thrust of private companies selling household goods into small towns and large villages. Prosperity is no longer confined to the cities. There are large areas especially in the southern and western states where families are able to meet their basic needs. Unfortunately this is not heard in the clamour of every state to be labelled “poor”, as this gives them reason to demand more from the Centre. There is intense competition to be “poor”. The second circle around the core is in a way, created by the core. Those in this circle are not poor; they just do not live by the rules. This is the so called “grey economy” which taps electricity and water, pays low wages, does not maintain Bank accounts, avoids any “identity” card or has several, and pays no direct taxes apart from “bribes”; but it employs millions and is more efficient than the core. If India has managed to survive the current recession it is due to a large extent to this second circle which manufactures every branded product at one fourth the price or less, and with wages in the core declining, this circle has an expanding market. But this sector also explains why the various State Governments have issued 223 million ration cards, while there are only 200 million house holds in India, why 80 million ‘below the poverty line ration cards’ have been issued when the number of below the poverty line families number around 65 million. The third circle comprises the left behind the poor. How can they break through these barriers constructed by power relations generated by the core? How can they enter the second circle when they do not have the confidence, skills and resources to survive in such a competitive environment? I hope the answer will emerge as I walk through this paper. In spite of producing a sustained and a high growth rate, why then is this growth model not including the poor? Is it because growth is inadequate?. 2

Partly yes; but mainly because the model “excludes” the poor. Even if growth was adequate, a greater part of the benefits would be appropriated by the core, it will not be spread out as much as required and a large number will be left behind. Why? Because this core excludes others i) through creating shortages of resources - either exploiting them for their own purpose or not creating adequate resources; ii) through imposing red tape which makes it impossible for the poor on their own to access resources, entitlements or assets; iii) because of corruption which enables crores/millions to be siphoned off through the delivery system which controls programs designed to alleviate poverty and finally iv) because this core in some major States has crippled the major institutions required for good governance ; this results in a reduced growth rate, increased physical and social insecurity for the poor; in investment in education and skills training for which there is no demand from the core sector; in inefficient delivery service institutions which failed to implement Central Government sponsored programs to alleviate poverty and include the poor.. Apart from poor delivery systems, another reason why the poor find it difficult to enter the other circles is because the Projects and schemes for them – the ladders for them to ascend - focus only on provision of tangible physical assets, which once again are standardised in a nation characterised by stratification and diversity. Little time and resources are provided to build i ntangible assets like confidence to come together and speak, skills to discuss and interact first with one another and then with outsiders, courage to identify openly why they are poor and the oppressive relations at home and in society which go against change and finally to design a strategy for change and implement it at their time and pace; these are the components of the commonly used word “empowerment. Investment of time and resources is required to build these intangible assets. Myrada’s experience show clearly that in a stratified society , it is not enough to teach people to fish because even after learning to fish they cannot reach the river and when they reach there, they find the fishing rights already captured. The obstacles are too many -- traditional oppressive relations, which has kept them as clients, have been strengthened as power and money accumulate in the hands of the powerful (police, politicians, Presidents and Secretaries of Cooperative Societies who use these Societies as stepping tones to political power and position). Therefore, before the provision of tangible assets, it is necessary to provide intangible ones, which are empowering. Yet very few Projects with the objective of mitigating poverty invest in intangible assets. Politicians think that these intangible assets do not win votes; besides, if people are empowered, they may not succumb to bribery on voting day; or worse still, accept the bribe from A and vote for B. Government sponsored projects to eradicate poverty also do not provide space for the poor to cope with diversity , and often destroy their livelihood 3